Mite damage that mimics herbicide or virus damage

摘要

A grower notices a few plants are showing stunted new growth with misshapen leaves on the heads or young growth of the plants, bronzing of the young stems and leaves, distorted young fruits, whitish or brown streaks on developing fruits, and perhapssome dieback of growing points. At first glance, these symptoms might suggest herbicide drift or even some type of virus. However, very close examination of such damage would, in many cases, reveal the presence of some microscopic mite species, likely the broad mite and/or the cyclamen mite. Both of these mite species belong to the same family of mites, Tarsonemidae, and are therefore called tarsonemids. Their small size, together with the fact that they feed in the developing buds and leaves, makes them very difficult to detect before the damage symptoms appear.